If you're looking for a good place for high intensity interval training (HIIT), Basecamp is a great gym.
Basecamp was conceived by SE Brands, the parent company of other gyms, including Anytime Fitness. Basecamp is small and growing, with select locations only in California and Minnesota so far at the end of 2019.
I enjoyed the free trial week here at the North Loop location.
How it works: in 45 minutes, you're getting a full coach-led workout, with cardio (air resistance bikes), mixed with strength, resistance, bodyweight and isometric core (planking) exercises. They have different low-impact routines (50+ workouts that they cycle through), so you could realistically exercise here daily and still get a different workout every time. It's a 35-minute workout with a 10-minute core workout at the end.
Usually, it's one-minute intervals of biking with one minute of floor exercises, with rapid 10-second transitions between each, which keeps you on your toes, physically and mentally. It's confusing at first, but very easy to catch on after the first time there. The mat exercises are divided into three groups (usually): strength/dumbbells on the far left, TRX bodyweight in the middle and barbells/medicine balls on the right. (One exception is the 40/20 fast twitch workout, with more sets and 20 seconds of transition, for even higher intensity bursts.)
You're assigned a team and bicycle at your preferred height. The team concept, as well as having a bike partner, contribute to the motivation.
Staff: everyone is enthusiastic and positive here and this sets Basecamp apart from other gyms. In particular, Christian stands out as being an excellent coach who is organized amid the chaos and who checks form, with the added bonus of encouraging high fives. (I don't know why I like high fives so much, but I do!)
The vibe here is nice as well: a number of participants were encouraging and friendly... one guy high-fived me once after a workout and one my bike partners asked me prior to the workout if I had any particular goals that day (because they have 5-mile, 6-mile and 7-mile achievements that you can earn if you and your partner each bike above that amount in a single workout).
I also felt like this is almost a one-size-fits-all place, because you can get so much out of each workout and you can go at a pace that's appropriate for you, though you're always encouraged to push yourself. You'll get good cardio and good conditioning from every workout, and each session targets different areas. I felt a noticeable improvement in my physical fitness, energy and mental toughness after just a week here, and I was in bad shape going in.
Facilities: there are only two bathrooms here and only one of them has a shower. It's a small gym, but I hope that they can expand someday. If you don't live nearby and need to head to work or school after working out, this is a factor. It's a newer gym, so most things are in good or great condition.
The cost is high: we're not at that point financially to afford Basecamp and we'll likely be traveling a lot more in 2020, so this won't work for us, unfortunately.
Overall, it's worth it, though, in my opinion, so I'm not reducing my rating. read more